earl vs peer

earl and peer both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
earl	Yes	No	No	No
peer	Yes	No	Yes	No

As nouns, peer is a hypernym of earl; that is, peer is a word with a broader meaning than earl:

earl: a British peer ranking below a marquess and above a viscount
peer: a nobleman (duke or marquis or earl or viscount or baron) who is a member of the British peerage

earl (noun)	peer (noun)
a British peer ranking below a marquess and above a viscount	a person who is of equal standing with another in a group
	a nobleman (duke or marquis or earl or viscount or baron) who is a member of the British peerage

earl (verb)	peer (verb)
	look searchingly